By Matt Clevenger

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WEST MILTON — The village of West Milton will host the annual Rock the Hill event on Saturday, Aug. 19, bringing food trucks, kids’ activities and a free concert featuring three local artists to the West Milton Municipal Park.

“It’s a free community event,” Council member Sarah Copp said during the West Milton Village Council meeting held on Tuesday, Aug. 8. “We have three bands; we have a free kids’ zone, there is a beer and wine tent. Hopefully we have great weather, and it’s just a really, really fun time.”

The event will run from 4 to 10 p.m., and will include performances by local artists Bedlam Family Reunion, Ryan Peters and Lake Effect.

“There’s going to be a lot of food trucks down there,” Copp said. “I recommend bringing cash, because it’s a little bit cheaper.”

Council members also announced the upcoming Third Thursday event that is set to be held from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown West Milton on Thursday, Aug. 17. Streets are to be closed for the event starting at approximately 4:15 p.m.

“We want to thank community for supporting Third Thursday events,” Copp said. “It’s been really successful and we’ve had a lot of great feedback.”

Third Thursday events are sponsored by local non-profit organization Project Revival.

“That is hosted by Project Revival,” Copp said. “It’s all privately funded; the city does help with policing it.”

In other business, council members also voted to issue a proclamation naming September 2023 as Miltonian Women’s Club Month, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Miltonian Women’s Club of West Milton (MWCWM).

“The MWCWM was founded in the village in 1923, and the history of the club provides a wonderful perspective on the community as a whole,” the proclamation said. “The club was created when nine civic-minded ladies got together in November of 1923 to help the less fortunate in the community with clothing and quilts.”

“In the early years of the club, there were committees formed to investigate unsanitary conditions at the school, address bad behavior of some boys at the school, and improve the lighting at the school grounds,” the proclamation said. “The club continues to be a valuable asset in the community, and contributes to all that is good, and makes West Milton the special community that it is.”

Council members also voted to approve the village’s continuing participation in hazard mitigation plans from the Miami County Emergency Management Agency, and authorized contracts with Anthem to provide health insurance for municipal employees through August of 2024.

Council also approved an annual resolution to certify delinquent water, sewer and refuse accounts, costs associated with the removal of grass, weeds, litter and trees and repairs to sewer lines to the Miami County Auditor for collections as tax liens or assessments on properties.

Delinquent accounts are payable by Thursday, Sept. 7; after that they will be certified for collection with an additional 5% charge from the county auditor for collection services.

Council members also approved a resolution authorizing the use of the village’s remaining $507,757.13 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds towards the upcoming Main Street Water Main and Lead Service Replacement project, which is scheduled to start in the fall.

“It’s a $1.8 million project,” Service Director Ben Herron said. “This water main is desperately needed, to start pulling water more from our north tower and serving areas that we’re having problems with volume and flows.”

Council also approved an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) project to resurface parts of state Route 571 in and around the village.

“The areas that we’re talking about will be on the west end of West Milton, on state Route 571 from Milton- Potsdam Road into Laura,” Herron said. “The east portion of the project will be state Route 571 from Iddings Road to Tipp City.”